Northrop Grumman Outfits Small Bat UAV with Electronic Attack Payload

This is the first miniature UAV to feature such an instrument

Northrop's Bat Group II drone can now be outfitted with the Pandora electronic attack payload

Engineers at Northrop Grumman announce that they have successfully incorporated a small electronic warfare payload onto their Bat unmanned aircraft system (UAS), marking the first time such a capability has been achieved in a Group III drone. This group contains very small, tactical aircraft.

The internal miniature electronic attack payload on the drone was able to jam a series of radars during an exercise that took place at the Naval Air Weapons Station, in China Lake, California, this October. It is a low-cost version of the company's upgraded digital APR-39 systems.

The attack system, called Pandora, is capable of incapacitating enemy electronic targets, but it can also provide support and protection for friendly aircraft and combat systems nearby. Northrop engineers say that it took less than two months to integrate this system onto the drone.

“Bat continues to demonstrate capabilities that can normally only be achieved by larger, more expensive unmanned aircraft. Our customers now have a more mobile and affordable option for electronic warfare missions,” says the vice president of Northrop Medium Range Tactical Systems, George Vardoulakis.